Fushi is an exclusive private villa alongside the Akigawa River that was designed to provide luxury accommodation that blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings. From the moment you arrive at its graceful gate, you will know that you have come to the right place to relax and reconnect. And because only one booking is accepted at Fushi per night, you will have this incredible property all to yourselves.

In keeping with its central concept of natural aesthetics, the interior of Fushi is themed around stylish wooden construction. The warmth of this natural wood can be felt throughout Fushi, from the grandeur of its long dining table to the deep hues of its wooden floors and walls.  Its unique open-air living room allows you to dangle your feet above the cool flowing water of the river or lounge in a built-in jacuzzi as you breathe the fresh air and listen to the sounds of the forest.

As part of this exclusive Wabunka itinerary, you can choose from one of three special local experiences for your first day in the Akigawa Valley region. One option is an ayu fishing experience with a local master fisherman who will guide you through the special fishing method known as tomozuri, which involves catching a single ayu sweetfish and then using that fish as a decoy to lure in territorial ayu.

*Ayu fishing is available from June to September.

If you would like to explore the streams and forests of the local area, we recommend the nature tour led by a guide from your Fushi villa. Your guide will take you by car to visit some of the most enchanting views in the region, including hidden limestone caves and the picturesque Hossawa Falls.

If you would rather spend the afternoon relaxing in your private villa at Fushi, you can participate in an on-site tea-brewing experience. Learn to whisk matcha tea in just the right way as you bask in the serenity of your surroundings with the soothing sound of the river waters flowing nearby.

Dinner at Fushi is an event in and of itself. As the sole guests at this private villa, you will be treated to an exhibition of preparation and cooking by the in-house chef, a master with over 30 years of experience. Watch as he transforms fresh local seasonal ingredients into the meticulously crafted dishes of a kaiseki-style meal, including delicate ayu sweetfish grilled over an open flame on the room’s riverside hearth. As a private experience, this meal can be tailored to a wide variety of dietary needs.

* Please note that live cooking is offered only for the main dishes.

Wake up after a blissful night’s sleep in the serenity of this peaceful valley to the crisp freshness of riverside air. Breakfast is also prepared by the chef and designed to make the most of the bounty of local produce, as well as providing a balance of healthy ingredients to give you the best possible start to your day.

After this nourishing breakfast, you will next head to the base of Mt. Mitake to begin your visit to the mountain and its famous shrine. There is no need to pack your bags and rush out the door right after breakfast. Unusually for such accommodation, Fushi allows late checkouts (up to 3 pm) so that guests can make the most of their time within this unique private villa.

Mt. Mitake may be only a short train journey away from central Tokyo, but from the moment you arrive at the base of the mountain, it feels like you are about to enter another world. For hundreds of years, Mt. Mitake has been a place of worship and pilgrimage, revered as a realm where spirits known as kami are believed to dwell.

Atop the mountain’s summit with its spectacular views over Tokyo and the Kanto Plain is Musashi Mitake Shrine, sometimes called the “Sanctuary in the Sky” due to its lofty location. As part of your guided hike, you will visit the shrine to learn more about the spiritual practices and beliefs associated with the mountain. To cater to guests with different interests, Wabunka provides a choice between two hiking courses – the Cultural Course and Shugendo Hiking Course – both of which are explained in detail in the following sections.

Your journey begins at Mitake Station, where you will meet your guide. Together, you will ride a cable car on a dramatic ascent up the slopes of Mt. Mitake to a height of 831 meters. Be sure to gaze out the windows as you rise over the broad expanse of the Kanto Plains with the cityscape of Tokyo in the distance.

Soon after leaving the cable car, you will enter the sacred realm of the mountain through the first large torii gate of the Musashi Mitake Shrine, known as the Sanctuary in the Sky. As you walk on with your guide, you will pass through a small village of shukubo, traditional lodgings built to accommodate those who come to worship at the shrine.

After climbing 330 stone steps up from the grand wooden Otorii gate, you will reach the main worship hall of Musashi Mitake Shrine. There are rituals to follow as you pass through the gate and approach the hall, but don’t worry if you’re not familiar with them. Your guide will carefully explain these rituals in detail and lead you through them to help you feel what pilgrims to this unique mountain shrine have experienced for hundreds of years.

From this point on the tour, you can choose to continue with either the Cultural Course or the Shugendo Hiking Course. If you select the Cultural Course, you will participate in a traditional ceremony of purification and prayer within the shrine’s main hall led by the head priest. Amidst the quiet solemnity of this hallowed place, listen to the beat of the drum and the recitation of prayers to the kami. For your part, you will present a branch from the sacred sakaki tree as an offering. Following the ceremony, your guide will lead you on a tour of the shrine and its grounds.

If you select the Shugendo Hiking Course, you will leave the main shrine after paying your respects and then hike to a sacred area at the top of the mountain. This place is known as Oku-no-in, the inner sanctuary of the shrine, and it is said to be the original location of the shrine’s main hall. The trail to Oku-no-in is about 1.5 km and includes some rocky areas, so be sure to wear shoes that are appropriate for hiking. The serene beauty of this trail emphasizes the deep connection between nature and traditional belief that exists in Japan.

After you finish the Cultural Course or Shugendo Hiking Course, it will be time for lunch at one of the mountaintop shukubo that provide accommodation to shrine visitors. Your meal will include a healthy balance of homegrown and wild vegetables, as well as your choice of soba noodles or kamameshi (a dish made with various ingredients steamed in a pot with rice). A priest known as an oshi who runs the shukubo will join you for a conversation about the history and traditions of the shrine.

Satiated and illuminated after this interesting conversation over lunch, you will then embark on a 3-hour hike along the Rock Garden trail. The celebrated hiking route leads you through an enchanting landscape of leafy trees, moss-covered stones, and waterfalls. Roughly halfway through your journey, you will pause to partake of some refreshing mulberry leaf tea and sweets, along with a handmade bamboo teacup to take home as a reminder of this day.

The deep importance of nature to Japanese culture cannot be understood solely through the pages of a book. You need to walk in the footsteps of the pilgrims who have trodden the trails before you, who have felt that connection between the natural and the spiritual themselves. Through your hike on Mt. Mitake and encounters with the priests who are the caretakers of the mountain’s legacy, you can begin to understand why certain places in Japan are considered especially sacred.

Your stay at Fushi will be an incredibly comfortable and luxurious experience, featuring gourmet meals crafted just for you by a master chef. And yet as you relax in the jacuzzi or at the dining table, you may come to see that even the stylish modern design of this private villa reflects Japanese values and aesthetics through the value of nature to everyday life. Fishing for ayu, touring local nature, or brewing tea at your villa by the river will all add to your appreciation of this unique and special place.